Psalm 110

Which Jesus Are You Worshiping?

The LORD says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool under your feet. Psalm 110:1

Do you think Easter is over—now that the church service has ended, the lilies have wilted, and the baskets of candy have been emptied? Psalm 110 declares emphatically that the resurrection power of Easter endures forever, and it should impact our lives every day.

This psalm, written by David, is quoted or alluded to more than any other psalm in the New Testament.[1] Why is it so important?

Consider what Peter said on Pentecost. As he explained who Jesus truly was, Peter said, “God has raised this Jesus to life … exalted to the right hand of God (Acts 2:32-33). Then he quoted Psalm 110:1 and proclaimed, “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (v. 36). He also exhorted the crowd to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, David’s heir, and to repent of their sins. The power that raised Jesus from the dead could transform their lives (vv. 38-39). And it did (vv. 40-47).

Psalm 110:4-5 explains what the Risen Christ was doing for those first-century Christians as well as what He is doing for us. He sits at God’s right hand as our high priest (v. 4). There, He intercedes for us, helping us become the holy servants we are designed to be (Hebrews 7:25-26; 10:12-13).

No wonder the New Testament writers were so fond of Psalm 110. It portrays Jesus as He is now, our royal high priest who reigns in heaven. We don’t worship a Jesus nailed to a cross. Neither do we worship a Jesus standing by an empty tomb. We worship the Jesus who sits at the right hand of God the Father with power and authority.

This Jesus provides the forgiveness, strength, and hope we need to live and serve Him. And one day, this Jesus will lead His troops into the final battle against the forces of evil, and He will judge the nations (Psalm 110:1-3, 5-7). This Jesus has promised, “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:21). Are you worshiping this Jesus?

DIG DEEPER:

The week Jesus was crucified, He quoted Psalm 110:1 at the temple. Read the gospel accounts in Matthew 22:41-46, Mark 12:35-37, and Luke 20:39-44. What question did Jesus ask? How did the crowd and the religious leaders respond to Jesus’ words?

In Peter’s sermon at Pentecost, he explained the importance of Psalm 110. Read his words in Acts 2:22-36. Can you explain the importance of the psalm in your own words?

Read Zechariah 6:9-15. How does this passage about a human priest, Joshua, echo the truths about Jesus provided in Psalm 110?

For more on what Psalm 110:4 means by “a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek,” see Melchizedek under Dig into People of the Bible.

Denise K. Loock

Note: This devotion is the final one in a series: Psalms of the Messiah.